LIVE: R. Kelly Runs Through the Hits at the Verizon Center [DC]

photos: Tony Mobley/TMO365

R. Kelly brought his 'Black Panties' tour to the Verizon Center in Washington, DC on Saturday, September 27th and teased and titillated the audience with a set featuring dozens of classic songs from his 23 year recording career. He performed without a band or back-up singers, relying solely on a DJ on the huge stage who was hidden in the shadows who played the music and the backing vocals for Kelly to sing along to. The stage was laid out like a  nightclub/lounge, complete with a fake bar, lamps, and black leather couches. About 15 ladies plucked from the crowd kept Kelly company on stage, sipping on cocktails and swaying to the music. The huge video screen played portions of his videos during each song.
With all the hits that he has, The "Pied Piper of R&B” performed unbelievably for just about an hour and 15 minutes, starting off with “Cookie,” from his latest album release "Black Panties" followed by the X-rated version of “I’m Loving You Tonight.” Kelly had the crowd rockin’ to “Ignition (Remix),” and then the “Fiesta” remix. Throughout the show, he sang mere snippets of many of his hits, frustrating fans who desired a full meal of their favorite song, not just an appetizer. Some songs were less than a minute long, and many times he moved on to the next hit before he even got to the main chorus of the current one. The show also dragged when he left the stage for costume changes, filling time with a bland "in studio" video interview projected on the big screen about how great all his songs are, how he is keeping it real for his fans, and how he has been in the game for 29 years (his debut album was released 23 years ago, not 29). During another break, there was an unsuccessful attempt to stimulate the crowd on the video screen by texting (with a loud vibration) his fans with questions about their favorite albums. This was met with a deafening silence throughout the arena, which incidentally was far from sold-out, with black curtains draped over the empty sections near the back of the arena.
After another break, Kelly appeared on a small stage in the middle of the arena for an a capella performance, displaying his powerful voice on “Slow Dance.” For his classic “I Believe I Can Fly,” the entire arena accompanied him word for word. Next he went 'old school' with “Your Body’s Callin’, “Bump n’ Grind," “It Seems Likes You’re Ready,” followed by “When A Woman’s Fed Up,” and “I Wish.” Again, all very short versions of the songs. Kelly then went right into his two biggest party jams "Happy People” and “Step In The Name Of Love, ” and with a quick "That's my time y'all" he was gone from the stage.